The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space Missions, Applications and Exploration

About this book

Presents a global perspective of our occupation and use of space, whether scientific, industrial, commercial, technical or military. After setting the stage by describing the space environment, orbits and ground tracks, launchers and launch sites, the authors go on to discuss the main space applications (telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation, military), plus science missions, planetary exploration and space stations.
`General and specialist readers alike will find The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space an accessible introduction to space activities conducted by all countries since the mid-20th century. The volume.is a gold mine of facts both mainstream and obscure that provides efficient access to a wealth of fascinating details.' Science, March 2004

Contents

Foreword; Preface; List of figures; 1. The environment of outer space; 2. Orbits; 3. Ground tracks; 4. The occupation of space; 5. Launchers and launch sites; 6. Political and economic aspects; 7. Near-Earth science missions; 8. Exploration beyond geocentric orbit; 9. Earth observation; 10. Telecommunications; 11. Military applications; 12. Man in space; Bibliography; Internet sites; Index.

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Biography

Fernand Verger is Emeritus Professor of Geography at l'Aecole Normale Superieure, Paris. He was NASA Principal Investigator for the Landsat-1 and 2 programs, and project director of the preliminary program for assessing the SPOT satellite. Isabelle Sourbes-Verger is a researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique, Paris. Raymond Ghirardi is a cartographic engineer at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and has worked on many geographical and geopolitical projects. Xavier Pasco is a researcher at the Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique, and Associate Professor at the Universite de Marne la Vallee.